1. Demonstration of Need. To be granted initial program accreditation by the Committee on Accreditation, the program sponsor must demonstrate the need for the type of program in the service area in which it will operate or a need for educators prepared through the specific program delivery model. Proposals must include data on the number of individuals currently serving on less than full credentials, where available, in the service area of the proposed program, projected need based on a needs analysis, and affirmations from employers with their anticipated hiring need for individuals with the planned credential.
Examples of Acceptable Evidence • Data that show the number of individuals serving on less than full credentials in the service area of the proposed program, if available (Educator Supply data can be found on the California Educator Supply webpage); OR Data that show the need for educators prepared through the specific program delivery model of the proposed program • A needs analysis which may include, but not be limited to: o Number of vacancies in the planned credential category in the service area of the proposed program o Projected student growth for the service area of the proposed program • Letters from one or more districts that affirm a hiring need for individuals with the planned credential(s) Examples of Insufficient Evidence • Statement of assurance from the program sponsor
Santa Maria Bonita School District demonstrates a clear need for local teacher induction with their analysis of teachers and appropriate credentials within their district. That analysis shows SMBSD has a large population on new educators within the district. In 2021-2022, SMBSD employed 43 new teacher candidates in year 2 of induction with Santa Barbara County Education Office, 14 new teacher candidates in year 1 of induction with San Louis Obispo County Office of Education, and 24 new teachers hired mid-year on various permits and without induction services. As identified in Criterion 11 of the Eligibility Requirements, SMBSD has been offering onboarding support for new teachers since 2020 to supplement, and in the case of mid-year hires fully support, a successful integration into the teaching profession. The district feels that the work of the Teacher Development Program (housed in the Department of Teaching and Learning) provides a more comprehensive approach to new teacher support and is the critical factor of their success with retaining teachers (teacher retention data?). According to EdData, cumulative enrollment and Average Daily Attendance (ADA) has been consistent for the past 5 years. The combination of this expected continued consistency and the teacher shortage, which is forecasted to continue for several years, causes SMBSD to anticipate an accompanying need to support new teachers for the foreseeable future.
The attached information demonstrates our needs analysis for a Teacher Induction program. The fourth column of the table shows the number of teachers who were serving our students on a preliminary or emergency credential or who were hired as interns. SMBSD Teacher Development team is supporting 101 new educators in some capacity. SMBSD anticipates hiring 25 additional Transitional Kindergarten teachers for the 2023 school year with the implemention of UTK in California. We anticipate hiring an additional 50 Transitional Kindergarten teachers for the 2024 school year. Our retention data shows in 2020-2021 we hired 48 new teachers and retained 45 of them with a 93% retention rate. In 2021-2022 we hired 28 new teachers and retained 25 giving us a 89% retention rate.
It is essential that we support our new educators within the content of their ILP with content that aligns to the CSTP, and is easily transferable to California classrooms. With a large population of new educators within SMBSD and the surrounding areas, we feel confident in the need for an Induction Program.